Leisa Way, as Bobbie Gentry, and Aaron Solomon, as Glen Campbell, star in Drayton Entertainment’s production of Wichita Lineman, to Aug. 2, at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.

Wichita Lineman

By Bob VrbanacChronicle Staff

There was a time when Glen Campbell was known for more than having one of the most notorious mug shots on one of those celebrity websites.

Did you know that he once had the No. 1 show on TV with The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour? That he played and performed with the Beach Boys and had 38 pop hits to go along with the 75 country hits he recorded in his 50-year show business career?

Or that Campbell sold 45 million records over that time, and in addition to his big hit like Rhinestone Cowboy, he has many other music and writing credits to his name?

Heck, even John Wayne saw something in the tall native of Delight, Arkansas, and picked him to play alongside him in his masterwork True Grit. For that work, “The Duke” won an Oscar, but people seem to forget that Campbell earned a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.

But the thing that Aaron Solomon remembers most is listening to the soundtrack of his youth that Campbell provided when he got his first transistor radio back in 1978. Campbell might have been known for the dashing figure he cut on stage, but it was the musicianship and the talent that came through that crackling radio that stayed with the guitarist who has performed with musical acts like Shania Twain, the Jeff Healey Band and Big Sugar. It’s a sound that’s still with him today.

“He blew me away with everything that he did in his career, and everything that he could do,” said Solomon. “When I was a kid I can remember hearing Try a Little Kindness on the radio, and when I got my first transistor radio and all these songs come from that period in time.

“That’s what people forget about Glen Campbell at that time. He was one of the original cross-over artists who was a big pop superstar in the 1970s, even though they now think of him as a country music guy.”

So when his friend Leisa Way said she was penning a production with him in mind, he was pleased that Campbell was at the heart of the musical tribute that evokes his work on TV and captures him at the pinnacle of his career.

“I was a fan when Leisa said she wanted to write this show for me,” said Solomon.

“And when I started researching him, I became an even bigger fan.”

Solomon, who is quite the singer, actor and guitar player himself, doesn’t so much try to capture Campbell at his zenith but evokes the spirit of that time. Leis uses that ability to fashion a show called Wichita Lineman that recounts his famous hits and performances including duets with Tanya Tucker, Bobbie Gentry and Canada’s own Anne Murray. Way, a Sudbury native who has made a name for herself in the works she’s created and for her performance and singing, including a show for the British Royal Family, will join Solomon on stage to perform some of those showstoppers.

And the music crosses all genres, as did the man himself, with soft rock and pop music that made him a household name at the time.

“This show highlights that fact too,” said Solomon about the Country Music Hall of Famer. “With Glen Campbell the fact that he was such a good singer and guitar player that he could take any style of music and deliver a song with sincerity.

“He was even able to tackle the tougher songs and with greater range as a result of his own vocal ability. He also came at it as a very experienced standpoint after working so long as a session musician.”

Those might be tough boots to fill, but Solomon said audiences have really connected with previous performances of Wichita Lineman, which makes its debut at Drayton Entertainment’s St. Jacobs County Playhouse July 16 to Aug. 2.

“I can really relate to the musicianship,” said Solomon, who has also done his own fair share of session work in addition to performing on stage. “I’m a fan of his singing, but I’m also a fan of his guitar playing and as a guitar player myself this show kind of stretched me.

“I’ve kind of joked that there’s more chords in this show than in a lumber yard. There are a lot of interesting chord formations, and maybe that’s what he liked and he certainly didn’t shy away from those kinds of songs.

“Other performers without the musical ability he had would have been shackled by those limitations but he really didn’t have them.”

So, how would Campbell compare to the star-studded lineup of guitarists that Solomon has played with in his own career?

“I love all these guitar players,” said Solomon. “I can certainly appreciate what they can do.”

Guest starring in the show is Randall Kempf, who interprets Kenny Rogers and Roger Miller for this performance. “He has that same raspy voice as Kenny, and likes to add new things all the time,” said Solomon.

It all amounts to a crowd-pleasing performance that never fails to bring the house down, said Solomon.

“You get standing ovations pretty much every night, which is great,” said Solomon. “They audience really goes for the performance. They’re clapping along and really have a lot of fun.”